Consent Mode Modelling (Data Modelling)

In practice, conversion modelling in Google Ads only begins once a minimum volume of click data per country and domain combination is reached, according to Google; smaller accounts with little traffic often never reach that threshold and therefore receive no modelled conversions. Modelled data appears in GA4 and Google Ads reports as aggregated estimates that cannot be broken down to individual users, never as raw data about a single person. Google distinguishes two implementation variants here. In basic mode, Google tags load only after the user has made a choice in the consent banner – without consent nothing is sent, but behavioural modelling is then impossible. In advanced mode the tags load from the outset and, where consent is declined, send so-called cookieless pings carrying a timestamp, user agent, referrer and consent status. These pings are not anonymous, and whether using them is permissible depends on the individual case – the EDPB guidelines 2/2023 expressly cover tracking without cookies, including fingerprinting and pixel or URL tracking. We recommend having that decision clarified legally before implementation. Behavioural modelling in GA4 requires advanced mode: Google asks for at least 1,000 events per day with analytics_storage='denied' over seven days, plus at least 1,000 daily users with analytics_storage='granted' on seven of the last 28 days. Consent mode v2 is the prerequisite today: alongside ad_storage and analytics_storage, Google expects the parameter ad_user_data for consent to ads measurement and ad_personalization for personalised advertising. Google states that from early March 2024, advertisers with EEA traffic who took no action have only users outside the EEA included in their audiences.